Introduction

This chapter deals with the milieu that produced a man and journalist like Ramananda Chatterjee, who can be seen as a representative of the role played by the media in the nation-building process in India. This milieu is composed of three strands - modernisation, technological developments and the creation of the idea of the Indian nation. Ramananda was rooted in the ethos of the religio-social movement called the Brahmo Samaj, which produced some of the greatest Indians of the nineteenth century. Summarised here is his concept of the Indian nation, which he characterised as comprising multiple identities, a concept that was unique in his days. Ramananda did this through his three journals in three languages which were essentially addressing multiple publics. They covered a wide range of topics - social, cultural, economic, political and military. His journals were a window through which India could view the world and the world could view India - important in mobilising public opinion.